Scores hike on Margallas for thalassaemics

Islamabad: NGO Jamila Sultana Foundation on Sunday organised a hike on Margalla Hills Trail 5 here to raise public awareness of thalassaemia for the prevention and control of the inherited blood disorder.

People from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, especially youth, attended the event in large numbers. They also donated blood for thalassaemics. Some elderly women and men were also part of the activity.

Public welfare organisations participated in the event to promote the cause by putting up their own stalls.

According to Haris Azam of the foundation, many thalassemia patients depend on blood transfusions to survive and thrive, so his organisation was grateful to all blood donors.

He said donating blood was one of the easiest ways to help save lives and in fact, every pint of blood donated could save up to three lives.

Haris Azam said the event was part of efforts to free the country from thalassaemia. He told ‘The News’ that his organisation carried out free thalassaemia screening of the participants.

Haris Azam said the JSF was providing treatment to 900 thalassaemia patients every year and required more and more blood donation to handle acute shortages for the relief of patients.